Method to Our Madness
by A'isha Ishtar
Summary: Kristy Montgomery is Arkham's newest doctor. Does she have what it takes to keep up with the Scarecrow and his buddy the Mad Hatter? eventual Scarecrow/OC, a bit of Hatter/OC, and just a touch of Joker/Harley written by me, helped along by my brother, the Batman know it all... rating MAY change


**OK, OK... I know. I have WAY more stories that need finishing than I really care to admit. But out of nowhere - BAM! This Batman villains obsession hit me over the head. And my first victim? SCARECROW~ aka Jonathan Crane. Heehee, I love him, he's such a troll. "WORSHIP ME FOOLS! WORSHIP ME! SCREAM HOSANNAS OF ANGUISH TO THE SCARECROW, THE ALL POWERFUL GOD OF FEAR!"**

**Kristy: ... I think he's gettin' better. *gold star sticker***

**But anyway! I know this sounds like your typical "Girl comes to Arkham as a doctor, patient falls madly in love with her, girl tries to change patient, they fight, blah blah, happy ever after." Well, it's NOT. My brother and I have been planning some nice little twists for you, and I even gave away one of them in the summary!**

**So, buckle up and board the story coaster. Keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all times. All tickets are nonrefundable, but your enjoyment is guaranteed or the ride is free.**

**Hope you guys likee! :D**

* * *

Kristy had to admit, she didn't expect people to take her seriously. She was a psychologist with a Southern accent, who would listen to her? They would all think she'd looked up big words in the dictionary to sound smart. But she didn't care. She _knew_ she was smart; she didn't have to prove it to anyone.

She didn't want her degree to go to waste, so when she moved to Gotham she immediately applied for a job at the Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane. Everyone else said she must have been as crazy as the patients to want a job there, but the only other mental facility where she might make a difference had an hour commute. She wanted to stay in town.

It was her first day, and she wanted to make a good impression, so she decided to show up extra early. She had just pulled her motorcycle into the parking lot, and had stopped near the entrance to look up at the building. It looked sinister, but she was right at home in the shadows. She had always loved the dark; she wasn't scared of it like a lot of kids were. Mostly it just excited her; the unknown and the dangerous excited her. That was why she'd become a psychologist in the first place.

Unfortunately, what happened a second later was a little too "exciting" for her. She hadn't been watching, and a police car whipped into the parking lot. It was not even a foot away from her as it parked in a space, and her hair flew around her. She glared over at the car, and in the backseat she saw a man.

He had a mask on, and he honestly looked like the old scarecrow her parents kept in the cornfield back home in Georgia that they called Tobias. Only this fellow was a lot cleaner. He was buckled in, but it looked like he was on his knees, staring out the back window. His hair was long and blonde, and it looked like straw, but it was probably just part of his costume. He was looking straight at her, his eyes wide.

She fixed her dark hair, then offered a nervous smile (after all, most of the criminals here probably were eccentric like that - why not be nice?) and held up her hand before quickly parking her bike, chaining it, and hurrying into the building.

She peeked into the office of her new boss. "Umm, Mrs. Springer?"

The woman looked up from her paperwork and smiled. "Ahh, Miss Montgomery. I've been expecting you... in fact, you're early. That's a good trait to have in the working world." She stood up. "Now, how old did you say you were, dear?"

"Twenty-six. Just turned last month, actually."

"Wonderful. Now, don't pay any mind to some of the prisoners when you're walking down the hall - you're young and good-looking, and a lot of the men haven't seen that in a long time. Just disregard them. Follow me, I'll show you to your new office."

"Great." Kristy followed the older woman through the halls, looking at some of the cells on the way there. She stopped to look at one that had two prisoner numbers on it, but only one man inside. "Uh, ma'am, if there are supposed to be two of them in there - where's the other one?"

Mrs. Springer shook her head. "He escaped last night, but I do believe they're bringing him back in this morning."

"Oh, I see." _He must have been that scarecrow fella I saw in the cop car._ She leaned closer to the glass, looking curiously in at the other man. He was sitting there, reading.

He glanced up at her and offered a slight smile. "Good morning. Jervis Tetch, pleasure to meet you. New doctor?"

"Uh, yes-"

"Now, Miss Montgomery, keep up - your office is right down this way."

She blinked at Jervis, then gave him a little wave and mouthed _Sorry_ as she was verbally dragged down the hall.

When they arrived at the door, Kristy had to smile at the plaque. There was her name, _Dr. Kristen L. Montgomery,_ by the door, like a real doctor. "Oh, this is great. It looks all professional! Can we go in?"

"Of course, it's your office."

Kristy opened the door and walked inside. There was a window, sunlight filtering in, and a desk with a plush chair - it probably spun around. Oh, what fun. She loved those kind of chairs. "Oh, it's beautiful."

"I'm glad you think so. Your first appointment is in about..." A quick glance at the clock on the wall. "An hour, give or take. You've been assigned to Dr. Jonathan Crane."

"He's a doctor too?"

"Well, technically. He's got a doctorate anyway, but he's one of our patients. Be careful around him - he doesn't usually mind us, and in fact he can be rather pleasant... but he also doesn't like to cooperate. Been here about a year, had three doctors already and he doesn't do a damn thing unless _he_ wants to do it. Good luck."

"Got it. So, an hour? What should I do till his appointment, ma'am?"

"Make yourself at home. Make up the place however you like. Look over his file maybe - should be in the file cabinet. You've got most of the patients' files, but since you won't usually see them, you should only go over his."

"Thanks." Kristy waved at Mrs. Springer as she left, then closed the door. She glanced at the window, where the sky had darkened to an angry gray, so pitiful that it would probably rain. She sighed - it was probably just part of living in New York - and strolled over to the file cabinet, sliding open the top drawer which was labeled _Main Patient._ The manilla folder leaning against the front was the solitary item in it.

She lifted it out, and the sticker on the front read _Jonathan Crane._ The other files were probably in the lower drawers, but someone had put the file on Jonathan in the top; apparently since, as Mrs. Springer and the top drawer both said, he would be her primary patient.

So she opened the folder to check him out.

* * *

_Name: Jonathan William Crane_

_Date of Birth: April 14, 1985_

_Previous Occupation: Psychologist; Psychology Professor_

_Before being admitted to Arkham Asylum, Jonathan Crane attended Gotham Community College at the age of 19. At 23 years old, Crane graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology._

* * *

Kristy cocked an eyebrow, reviewing the previous information. It was written strangely formally, like a biography, as if Arkham wanted to keep as much distance from their patients, even while describing them. It didn't delve into any possible challenges he'd faced getting the degree - which, as a psychology degree, would be kind of difficult to earn if you were certifiably insane.

She turned the page and was immediately presented with a whole new barrage of information. And this page was way longer than the first small wave of background.

* * *

_The main crime that led to Crane's arrest and commitment to Arkham was an attempted poisoning of the board of directors at Gotham Community College. After practicing as a psychologist for two years, Crane returned to the college to become the professor for the psychology course. During this time, he experimented on various students and patients with a self-developed poison he called "fear toxin". The board of directors released him from his work when they discovered this, though his license to practice psychological therapy remained functional. A month later, Crane filtered a new version of his toxin, in gas form, through air vents in the board's meeting room. He was promptly arrested by Batman and admitted to Arkham, where he has remained for the last year._

_A full list of his crimes, before and after his commitment to Arkham, is below._

_-Assault and battery (3 counts)_

_-Driving while intoxicated (2 counts)_

_-Driving over the speed limit (5 counts)_

_-Trespassing (1 count)_

_-Public intoxication (4 counts)_

_-Poisoning (29 counts)_

_-Attempted poisoning (1 count)_

_-Involuntary manslaughter (1 count)_

_-Defamation of character (1 count)_

_-Theft (9 counts)_

_-Drunk and disorderly conduct (3 counts)_

_- Disturbing the peace (2 counts)_

_-Attempted permanent escape from custody (2 counts)_

* * *

Kristy whistled lowly, scanning the page a second time to make sure she'd read all of that correctly. "My my," she muttered, turning the page. "Lookit all the points you've racked up only bein' twenty-seven, Dr. Crane."

The next page was about the same length as the previous, minus the rather outstanding list of its predecessor.

* * *

_Jonathan Crane has been formally arrested three times, twice while he was attending college, and once following the crime that sentenced him to Arkham's custody. Crane is currently on a regular regimen of moderate-strength anti-psychotic drugs. They are administered three times a day with meals._

_Therapy for mild obsessive-compulsive disorder and paranoia have not been extremely successful as of yet, so he is no longer following these routines. Behavioral therapy has been somewhat effective, and he's not been enrolled in it for four months. He attends anger management once a week, which appears to keep his temper under control._

_It is suspected that if he were to be released in this state, his paranoia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and psychosis would make it virtually impossible for him to function in the real world._

* * *

Kristy frowned as she turned the page. He wouldn't be able to function normally if released and taken off his medications... yet before this he'd been a psychologist _and_ a professor of psychology? She could only imagine what things _his_ patients and students would have had to deal with concerning him, then. It said he had OCD - he was probably a raving germaphobe.

The next page surprised her.

* * *

_Dr. Crane has made little progress over the course of two months' time. He refuses to take his medicine which he most desperately needs. It would take longer than two months to sufficiently cure him, of course, but I had expected to see SOME progress by now. Every time I attempt to work with him, all I am met with are protests, sarcasm, and a bad attitude... it's like I'm dealing with a teenage boy instead of a grown man. I've admitted him to an anger management class, but he even fights that._

_I have done all I can do for Dr. Crane at this point. A younger doctor would perhaps be more persistent, but then again I am not a younger doctor. I will ask to transfer his case to another professional, but I fear I will leave Arkham soon anyway... the age of retirement and the wonders of no more patients approaches. Oh yes, and God help the wretch who gets assigned to our dear but demented Dr. Crane._

_Sincerely, Gabriel Robbins_

* * *

The next page held little difference but for the content and handwriting.

* * *

_The Professor was violent when I first received his case. He argued at every opportunity. He resisted the guards. But I've managed to persuade him into taking his medicine, and since he's begun that, he seems to have calmed down a bit._

_He's still resentful about having to attend the class for "those brutes with terrible tempers", since apparently he's never seen his own temper in action. But there's been improvement; I no longer have to take him kicking and screaming to the session room. He seems to enjoy the others' company, especially that of Jervis Tetch. They're both "mad as hatters", so I suppose it makes sense. I'm thinking of moving them into a cell together after talking with Jervis's main psych._

_I plan to begin a rigorous course of therapy for the Professor next. I've discovered his petulant and irrational habits - such as washing his hands for EXACTLY one minute - and also his fear that others will steal the formula he uses to create the fear toxin we'd almost forgotten about. I'd like to work intensely with him on these things._

_As they say, though, one step forward, two steps back. In the last two months, the Professor's taken to wearing a God-awful mask and calling himself the "Master of Fear". He seems insecure without the thing, and rarely takes it off - unless there aren't any guards in the room, then if I ask him he will usually comply._

_He's definitely strange... but this is my plan._

_Dr. Timothy Roderick_

* * *

The next page was written in the same penmanship. It seemed far more rushed this time - angry, almost - and signed by the same doctor. Kristy had to sit down for the next page, since she was so engrossed in the file that she could no longer bear standing to read it. She placed the folder down on the desk, and couldn't even try out her new spinning chair; no, she _had_ to give this her full attention. No distractions, not even super special cool chairs.

* * *

_The Professor used his fear toxin on me. He waited until all (well, most) of the inmates had planned a massive group breakout and were executing it. I attempted to hold him back from escaping. Then he slapped a rag soaked in the toxin over my face. The next thing I knew, Jack Napier (we call him "the Joker") was exploiting my worst fear. I would suppose the Professor put him up to it - he's smart enough - if not for the fact that I'd never told him what I was most afraid of. None of them escaped though, the Professor included, but they're being locked down way better now. I have no idea how the Professor even got his hands on the chemicals - nor do I really want to KNOW - but I can't deal with him anymore. I've been patient enough, and he does this._

_I'm transferring to a different hospital. GOD, I really hate clowns..._

_Dr. Timothy Roderick_

* * *

Kristy sighed, crossing her legs and flipping the page. He'd assaulted his own psychologist? With a toxin that nobody knew he'd gotten the ingredients to? She was beginning to question the real safety of this place. Tapping her fingernails on the desk, she read the next page, which was shockingly short.

* * *

_Prof. Crane seems stable. Still mentally ill, but stable. The last month I've worked with him has been fairly uneventful. Dr. Roderick mentioned a mask that Prof. Crane was fond of wearing, and sure enough he's still wearing it. He takes it off sometimes, when he feels he can trust me._

_The OCD and paranoia Dr. Roderick wrote of have calmed down. There are traces of them, but certainly nothing that can't be managed._

_He is good for now. Regular psychiatrist visits would of course be a fine idea, but I don't think it's really required for him._

_Dr. Fred Cuomo_

* * *

Kristy shook her head and turned the page again. So, Jonathan Crane was still wearing some hideous mask to foster a sense of security, _and_ he'd broken out last night... and yet his previous therapist, this Dr. Cuomo, didn't think it necessary to continue the sessions? Honestly.

Wow. This page was black. As a quick search revealed, the remainder of the pages in the file were blank. So apparently it wasn't quite as thick as she'd originally thought it was. "Are these for _me?_" she muttered, leafing through them. "So I can write down what _I_ did with him?"

She bit her lip lightly, an old nervous habit, as she put the folder down. She rested her cheek in her hand, once again clacking her long nails against the wood. "Well, alright, Dr. Crane. You like to fight, don'tcha?" She closed the folder, pushing away from the desk. "You want a war with me, y'all got yerself one. And it _ain't_ friendly fire."

* * *

**DA DA DA DA!**

**Jonny Boy will definitely appear next chapter, and I'm currently writing it RIGHT NOW! I love him so much. He's super white and nerdy, AND a superfreak. Double whammy, sorry, Prof.**

**As I said, my brother and I are technically writing this together, with him supplying me ideas and info (though I've got a pretty good grasp on the fandom now) and me actually writing the story. Cuz it was my idea to write it in the first place, and I asked him for some input.**

**Hope you guys like! Review or Mad Hatter will dress you up like Alice and kidnap you! Mwahahahaha!**

**Thanks for reading! ^^**


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